Asbestos in Schools

1 Asbestos in Schools The Scale of the Problem and the Implications The Asbestos in Schools Group 30th October 2011 2 Contents PART 1: EXTENT OF THE Asbestos PROBLEM IN UK Schools .. 3 Extensive use of amphiboles in Schools .. 4 Plate 1: A typical 1970 s System Built 5 Plate 2. AIB in a Classroom Heater .. 6 Dilapidated 7 Policy of managing Asbestos .. 8 No known threshold of exposure below which there is no risk.. 9 MRC Exposure to Asbestos in school may therefore constitute a significant part of total exposure.

2 10 PART 2: Asbestos FIBRE LEVELS IN Schools .. 11 Significant amosite fibre release from common classroom activities.. 11 Significant amosite fibre release from hitting AIB walls apparently in good condition.. 12 Plate 3: A hole punched in AIB panel.. 12 Slamming a door releases amosite fibres 660 times greater than background 13 Plate 4 Scuffed interior AIB Window Infill Panel .. 13 Plate5: Cloud of Asbestos Fibres .. 14 Fibre releases continued. Problem rediscovered twenty years later.. 15 Plate 6. Base of column showing a large amount of AIB debris.

3 16 Plate 7. Badly damaged ceiling tiles in a school corridor .. 17 Viability of Second Series of tests are questioned .. 17 Release of amosite fibres from classroom 18 Displaying children s work releases significant levels of amosite fibres.. 20 Plate 8. AIB debris from drawing pins. 6,000 fibres per pin.. 20 Asbestos fibre release from heating systems.. 21 Plate 9: Warm air ducted heating.. 22 Asbestos floor tiles can release significant levels of Asbestos fibres. However the fibres are often not counted.. 23 school maintenance can release significant levels of Asbestos fibres.

4 25 Staff and pupils unaware of Asbestos exposure.. 28 Workplace control level applied to children in Schools .. 29 PART 3: DEATHS FROM Asbestos EXPOSURE AMONGST school STAFF .. 34 Increasing numbers of school teachers dying of mesothelioma .. 34 Numbers of teachers dying of mesothelioma is possibly significantly more than shown in the statistics .. 35 Schools support staff have died of mesothelioma .. 36 In an occupation where one would expect few deaths the teachers death are far higher than they should be .. 37 Teachers death certificates are invariably a true record of their life time occupation.

5 40 Caretakers, teaching assistants, nursery nurses, school secretaries, cooks and school cleaners have died of mesothelioma.. 40 M i s l e a d i n g s t a t e m e n t s b a s e d o n H S E c a s e c o n t r o l s t u d y .. 41 PART 4: INCREASED VULNERABILITY OF CHILDREN TO 42 Statistics do not show the subsequent children s deaths.. 42 USA estimated for every teacher and support staff death there are nine subsequent children s deaths.. 43 Widespread Asbestos exposure of children at school . Children can inhale more fibres.

6 43 Many children exposed to Asbestos at home .. 44 Possibility that more Asbestos fibres are retained in children s airways and lungs .. 45 Increased risk to children because of age.. 47 Quantifying the increased risk to children because of physical immaturity .. 48 Assessments of Asbestos risks for children incorrectly based on risks to adults.. 49 The Precautionary Principle .. 50 CONCLUSION .. 51 Annex A. Mesothelioma deaths in the Education Sector 1980-2008 .. 54 Annex B Comparison Teachers with Other Occupations .. 59 Annex C: HSE Case control study Teachers mesothelioma deaths.

7 61 Annex D. HSE WATCH paper on fibre Levels. 2nd series of HSL tests in CLASP buildings.. 64 Annex E. Risks from displaying work with drawing pins.. 72 Annex F: A Comparison. Incidence of mesothelioma in Great Britain and the USA.. 74 Annex G. Incorrect use of Action Level as a threshold for a long term risk to 77 Annex H: Asbestos incident Silverhill school .. 82 3 Asbestos in Schools This paper examines the extent, type and condition of Asbestos in Schools and the risks to the occupants. It gives evidence that Asbestos is present in most Schools in the country, and in particular how there has been extensive use of the more dangerous materials in places vulnerable to damage.

8 It gives examples of how that damage has been caused by both building and maintenance work and by normal, everyday classroom activities. The paper shows how staff and pupils have been exposed to cumulatively significant levels of Asbestos fibres. It gives the results of air sampling in Schools and how background Asbestos fibre levels can be raised. It gives examples of classroom activities that can frequently release significant levels of Asbestos fibres. It shows that this was known almost twenty five years ago but because action was not taken, the exposures continued.

9 There is analysis of the results of air sampling that demonstrates that the actual levels of Asbestos fibres can be significantly higher, particularly in Schools , than recorded in the results. The paper looks at the level of Asbestos exposure capable of causing mesothelioma. It describes how workplace control levels are applied to the occupants of Schools and the unsafe practices that have resulted from this. It then analyses the reasons staff and pupils are frequently not aware of their exposure or are advised not to enter it in their medical records.

10 The paper examines and identifies selective use of scientific studies and data when producing policy and informing opinion. It produces referenced evidence that identifies and corrects the resulting incorrect conclusions and false impressions given. The paper analyses the mesothelioma death statistics for school teachers and support staff and their implications. It presents the case that shows why these deaths are directly relevant when an assessment is made of the Asbestos exposures and subsequent deaths of school children.